True Greatness

And an argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. But when Jesus perceived the thought of their hearts, he took a child and put him by his side, and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me; for he who is least among you all is the one who is great." [Luke 9: 46-48]

I once attended a conference with a group of attorneys and the speaker, a psychologist, asked "What group of people has the best insight in how to live life?" Several participants answered, "Lawyers" and the speaker broke out in laughter exclaiming "You have to be kidding!". Some suggested "counselors", others "people of wealth" and yet no one seemed to be able to answer his question with the right answer. When the group was done guessing, he revealed his answer:

" Young Children! " At first, everyone seemed taken aback. But, then he went on to explain: What group of people live in the moment without fear of tomorrow? Young children run from one place to the next to celebrate the exburence of life. Young children don't worry about "what if" because they have not developed their "self-image" yet. That usually begins around the age of 13 when they transmutate from child to young adolescent. Then what follows are the bad hair days and the fear that if a pimple blemishes one's face no one will like them. Young children are oblivious to those things.

When Jesus "perceived" the thought of his disciples' hearts, I do not think this was due to his diety. Rather, I believe that it may more attributed to his unmarred humanity. Scientists are intrigued with the concept of Extra Sensory Perception ("ESP"). There are demonstrable tests to suggest that there are empathic ways in which some people can communicate thoughts. Even when one travels to a foreign country and has no knowlege of the foreign language it is amazing how much communication can be gleaned by listening to someone's tone, body language, gestures and eye contact. When we learn to suppress the "self" and truly listen for another's person's heart and soul, not just the words, we gain true meaning and insight into another. So often when someone else is speaking, we are already thinking about formulating our response to the argument such that we don't really "hear" what the other person is saying. Or, if we hear it, we only perceive a fraction of what the communication is all about. Learning to listen to a person's heart is a rare experience. It is a process that can be used to create deep lasting relationships. When you think about your best friend, it is usually someone who is willing to listen to you. I believe that we were all born with ESP. Sin mars that ability in each of us. When we focus on "self" we lose our ability to see others about us. Some people naturally retain more of that ability than others. But, it is the way that God designed us to be. Jesus's abilitiy to read his disciple's thoughts shows us how we should be able to discern others based upon our common humanity. Little children are like sponges. They too seem to be able to "read" people and their emotions far beyond their ability to understand or comprehend oral communication.

Authority in the kingdom of God is turned on its head. The one who wants to be the greatest must become the least of all. It is counter-intuitive. Much like "dying to live". If you want to be great, become like a child and think small of yourself. Enjoy the moment and cast your worries about the future aside. Worrying won't change anything. If you believe that God is your father and he is going to take care of you, then life is good!